LETTER FROM THE PUBLISHER
Young Professionals Bring New Ideas for a Changing Economy
PHOTO BY TERENCE DUFFY
If you have lived in Sacramento as long as I have , you might have vivid memories of tomato trucks . During harvest season , they rushed down the city ’ s freeways to get their freshly picked cargo to processing plants as quickly as possible . Even if you didn ’ t see the trucks , you couldn ’ t miss the trails of red spillage on the pavement .
Besides marking the harvest season each summer , that pilgrimage of tomato trucks was a very visible reminder that agriculture is as much a staple of our region ’ s economy as is the Capitol dome . But as homes replaced tomatoes in the fields now called Natomas and processing facilities moved farther north in the Sacramento Valley , there are fewer tomato trucks on city freeways to remind us that agriculture is still a large part of our economy .
In fact , the tomato business is as big as ever , especially in the southern part of the Central Valley . California is still the nation ’ s No . 1 tomato producer , harvesting 12 million tons a year . But the more startling fact is that the number of tomatoes grown per acre has doubled in recent decades , even though the acreage planted has not increased . Even if your only connection to tomatoes is the ketchup in your refrigerator , that increased efficiency is important for all of us to recognize . It ’ s a sign that critical aspects of the region ’ s economy are advancing and continuing to redefine the region .
When Sacramento and the surrounding cities were smaller and farming seemed simple , “ ag tech ” could have meant a new tractor . Today , UC Davis is one of the nation ’ s top universities for agriculture science and invests $ 140 million a year in research to develop pest-resistant crops . Its strategic partnership with Bayer Crop Science allows university researchers to develop better seeds , which results in more crops per acre . CoLaborator , the 3,000-square-foot wet lab located within Bayer ’ s West Sacramento Innovation Hub for Crop Science , offers startups a place to study new ways of growing crops . Additionally , Lab @ AgStart , a 4,800-square-foot , $ 1.5 million incubator lab for food and ag tech recently opened in Woodland , which will also spur innovation .
Other aspects of our economy are defining the region . Health care , a major source of local jobs , is growing and consolidating . And we have many biotech companies in the region working to diagnose , treat and cure diseases . The tech industry , usually associated with the Bay Area , has a strong foundation in the Capital Region ’ s new economy with foundational companies like Intel , Hewlett Packard , Apple and Oracle sharing space with newer companies like software manufacturer Sibros , smart parking app Japa and tech startup Hank , which uses artificial intelligence to manage a building ’ s heating , ventilating and air conditioning system .
Sacramento ’ s investment of $ 350 million to rebuild the newly branded SAFE Credit Union Convention Center and expand other facilities in the central city , and Placer County ’ s investment in the Roebbelen Center located @ the Grounds in Roseville , underscore the value of attracting people to the region for entertainment or tourism , a $ 50 million shot for the local economy .
Parts of our economy are still struggling to find solutions to nearly two years of chaos and change . The onslaught of online shopping has retailers looking for ways to rebound or react to fewer people inside their stores . Some businesses are still figuring out whether their employees will come back to the office or if they need to find ways to work efficiently and profitably with a new post-pandemic model .
Thankfully , we have a new generation of leaders eager to take on these challenges and help create solutions and big new ideas . This is our annual Young Professionals issue of Comstock ’ s , where we introduce you to a group of people already making change . They come from a variety of industries , such as construction , law , health care , government , banking , music , trucking and manufacturing . They are a generation accustomed to rapid change and trust in technology . The group is diverse , which always brings a variety of perspectives to problem solving and creativity .
These professionals represent not just new faces , but the future of a regional economy that is more diverse and growing far beyond its traditional retail , government and agriculture foundation . Just like we wanted to do things differently than the generation before us , these future leaders will bring new ideas and ways of getting things done . The challenges are as broad as our economy . That might mean finding new medical cures , creating innovative ways to attract customers or designing new products .
And who knows , maybe one of them will find a way to grow even more tomatoes on an acre of farmland .
What do you think ? Let me know at winnie @ comstocksmag . com .
Winnie Comstock-Carlson President and Publisher
July 2021 | comstocksmag . com 13